Edited by Azizi Powell
This post showcases a video of United States President Barack Obama singing the Christian hymn "Amazing Grace" during his eulogy for South Carolina Senator and African Methodist Episcopal (AME) pastor Clementa Pinckney. Selected comments from that video's discussion thread are also featured in this post.
Reverend Pinckney was one of the nine African Americans who were murdered by a White racist during Bible study at Charleston, South Carolina's Mother Emanuel AME church. [June 17th, 2015.]
The summary for that video includes a hyperlink to the complete funeral service for Rev. Pinckney.
Click http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/06/video-full-text-of-president-obamas.html for a pancocojams post which showcases a video and the full text of the eulogy that President Obama gave for Reverend Pinckney.
The content of this post is presented for historical, cultural, religious, and inspirational purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Rest In Peace, Rev. Pinckney and the other nine persons who were murdered. Thanks to President Obama for his eulogy, thanks to the composer of "Amazing Grace", thanks to all those quoted in this post, and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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SHOWCASE VIDEO: President Obama sings Amazing Grace (C-SPAN)
C-SPAN, Published on Jun 26, 2015
President Obama sings Amazing Grace. Watch the complete funeral for South Carolina State Senator Clementa Pinckney here: http://cs.pn/1GNNMzs
-snip-
Selected comments from this video's discussion thread. All of these comments are from June 26, 2015.
Ricky Goodwyn
"Obama was preaching up there, hallelujah"
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Stella Roma
"Watch Obama Lead A Powerful Rendition Of 'Amazing Grace' At Clementa Pinckney's Funeral
Wow, just wow, this made me cry. No words but joy. Amazing President Obama!"
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CaneFu
"Obama is by far and away the coolest President we have ever had"
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Lekeathia Johnson
"Come on through, Rev. President!!! GLORY!!!"
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Steven Applebaugh
"+Lekeathia Johnson Was that awesome, or what, when the pastors referred to him as "Reverend President"?!?!"
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TheReal Malika
"This speech gave me life!!! "May God continue to shine his grace on the United States of America" ;-)"
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Vanderglobe
"Sing it Mr. President! Lawd, ego doesn't exist with God."
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hectochrome
"Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me....
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now, I see."
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miri dunn
"I got chills. What a moving moment . Obama sings Amazing Grace joined by others as he gives his eulogy"
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In a segment of the MSNBC television show "All In With Chris Hayes", African American reporter Jelani Cobb shared his impressions of President Obama's eulogy for Reverend Pinckney. Jelani Cobb, who attended that funeral service, indicates "grace" was a theme that ran throughout that eulogy. Cobb also shared that the choice of the hymn "Amazing Grace" was significant because John Newton, the composer of that song was a slave trader who became an abolitionist.
ReplyDeleteFrom https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazing_Grace
"Amazing Grace" is a Christian hymn published in 1779, with words written by the English poet and clergyman John Newton (1725–1807).
Newton wrote the words from personal experience. He grew up without any particular religious conviction, but his life's path was formed by a variety of twists and coincidences that were often put into motion by his recalcitrant insubordination. He was pressed (involuntarily forced) into service in the Royal Navy, and after leaving the service, he became involved in the Atlantic slave trade. In 1748, a violent storm battered his vessel off the coast of County Donegal, Ireland so severely that he called out to God for mercy, a moment that marked his spiritual conversion. Whilst his boat was being repaired in Lough Swilly, he wrote the first verse of his world famous song. He did however, continue his slave trading career until 1754 or 1755, when he ended his seafaring altogether and began studying Christian theology."...
While that is true, the composition of "Amazing Grace" occurred some years before John Newton ended his career as a slave trader.